


The Lone Gun

by jwriter819



Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Peter is his apprentice, Randomness I wanted to share, Tony is an assassin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-15
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:41:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23163418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jwriter819/pseuds/jwriter819
Summary: Tony Stark was a man who moved like thunder and disappeared like smoke. He came when he was needed and he left only when the job was done. He had a code and he lived by a standard.No attachments.No witnesses.That is...until he met a young boy who changed everything.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 4
Kudos: 76





	The Lone Gun

**Author's Note:**

> This is something I wrote a while ago. I planned to build it out a bit more, but I like how it turned out.

Tony Stark was a man who moved like thunder and disappeared like smoke. He came when he was needed and he left only when the job was done. He had a code and he lived by a standard.

No attachments. 

No witnesses. 

Since he was a young child, he’d learned that in order to truly be free he had to live a certain way. He didn’t have friends, he didn’t have one place that he called home. In fact, no one even knew his real name.

That’s how he’d been taught. 

For almost decades he worked only with a trusted circle of like-minded people known only through their contacts at SHIELD. 

Then one day everything changed. It was a job like any other. He didn’t ask questions or names, he simply went and did the job. On this day, when he was leaving he heard a whimpering before silence. Moving slowly he crept around the corner with his weapon still in his hand poised and ready for action. As he turned the corner he aimed expecting to see his mark, instead he found a child. The boy seemed to notice him only in that moment. He expected to see fear, but instead the boy offered him a silent nod before dropping his head ready for what was coming next. Something inside of Tony clenched. This child knew the life. 

He understood the game.

In that moment, Tony made a decision. “Name?” The boy blinked up at him but said nothing. Tony dropped his chin and hardened his gaze. “Name,” he demanded. 

“Don’t got one,” the boy replied promptly. Tony eyed the child in front of him. With the mop of curly hair and wide doe eyes it was only a matter of time before he’d be taken out. He was too skittish right now. 

Someone had to train him.

“You live here?” The boy looked up at him with a steely gaze. Test passed. “You got two minutes to grab your stuff starting now.” He didn’t know why he was saying it or why he’d ever do that. It was against everything he’d known.

Yet, he did it anyway. 

He watched the boy scurry across the small area throwing small toys into a bag. He rolled his eyes as the child tried to carry a book that was almost as big as he was. As the time wound down the boy appeared in front of Tony obediently looking up waiting for further instruction. Without a word he turned on his heel and made his move to exit the home. He didn’t have to look behind him to know that the child was following him. He slid into the muscle car full of horsepower and popped the trunk from the inside. When the boy fiddled for a moment too long, Tony cranked the engine and it roared to life. Springing into action the boy scrambled onto the bumper and managed to close the trunk. Tony nodded realizing the kid was definitely smart..and resourceful. The boy climbed into the seat and closed the door. He sat looking up at Tony expectantly waiting for instruction. 

All Tony offered was a curt nod, and “buckle up.” 

Like that they were off into the night. 

~/~

In the months that followed Tony learned several things about the boy. He had been trained with an iron fist. A part of Tony was glad that he’d had to do the job that was given. He hated to see children trained that way. It didn’t breed strong-minded individuals; it created skittish rage-filled monsters. If Tony hadn’t been taken away when he was twelve that’s how he would have ended up. His own father had trained him that way and while he was better for it, Tony always knew there was a better way. 

He set in his mind that he wouldn’t treat his charge like that. 

While he did offer the occasional correction to the boy it was always quick and never excessive. Tony knew that his boy was like him. He was smart as a whip, but sensitive. Too much correction and the boy floundered, a little chastisement and a fair amount of encouragement went far with him. 

Looking up from his next set of orders, he watched the boy, who he found out was named Peter, with his eyes trained on the laptop in front of him. It was obvious that Peter was smart and that he needed to learn. The books that they found or stole from libraries as they traveled were never enough. After only a couple of weeks together, Tony set him up in an online homeschool program. He didn’t have a choice, as the boy became more comofrtable he began to pester Tony with constant questions. Not even the tablet Tony bought him could satiate the boy’s oddly familiar need to learn. When the time came to enroll him, Tony did so under the alias Frank Cash Jr. It worked well for them and gave them an easy out when addressing each other in public. ‘Senior and Junior’ were as common as they could get. Due to their similar hair and eye color they were never asked about their relation. Instead of people simply assumed it and it meant they never had to lie. 

“Junior,” Tony said firmly. The boy only looked up from the device. The man frowned at this knowing that Peter was still upset about the correction he’d received earlier in the morning for speaking too freely in public. It wasn’t something that Tony enjoyed doing, but it was necessary. 

Sharing too much information about their life would get them killed.

That wasn’t going to happen.

Not on Tony’s watch.

“Look at me,” he demanded as he slammed the laptop shut. Peter barely was able to get his fingers out of the way. “When I speak to you I want your full attention, understand?” 

“Yes, sir,” the boy said evenly. Tony offered a curt nod. “Do you know why I punished you earlier?” Peter sighed but nodded. “Well?”

“I was too open. I shouldn’t have shared that we move around a lot. That was unnecessary to the conversation.” 

“You are correct. Why is that dangerous?”

“Revealing too much can make it easier for others to trace us later.” Tony smiled inwardly but kept his frown on the outside. He needed Peter to know that his mistake was a big one. 

“And if they can trace us, what happens if they do that?” Tony saw Peter bite his lip.

“We can get killed or end up in jail.” Tony nodded and the boy sank back into his seat. He picked up the paper and resumed reading through his next job. Peter definitely understood his mistake and as far as Tony was concerned the lesson was learned. 

Looking down Tony felt a gentle tap on his knee. Rolling his eyes he knew exactly what the boy wanted...it was the same thing he’d wanted as a boy after he received correction.

Comfort.

Reassurance.

A hug.

He set the papers down and saw the tears sitting on the edge of Peter’s eyelids. Without asking him to say it, Tony reached out and pulled the small child onto his lap and then into a tight embrace. Peter curled into his chest.  
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause us trouble. I hope we don’t have to leave early,” he heard the boy mutter. Tony knew everything about this moment was against the code but he didn’t care. His kid needed something from him and he was going to give it. 

After a few minutes he jostled his knees, letting the boy know that the moment was over. He heard Peter sigh, but the boy obediently climbed off of his lap. He was fine with showing him the affection he needed, but he wouldn’t let Peter grow up to be soft. Being soft was being weak and being weak was dangerous. 

Peter reached up and wrapped his arms around Tony’s neck. “I love you,” the boy said quietly. Tony patted his back and offered a quick kiss to the side of his head. 

The words weren’t spoken, but the affection was there. 

~/~

Years later, Tony and Peter moved together like a well-oiled machine. The contracts came into Tony, Peter did the research, and then Tony executed the plan. Together they operated like water. Appearing from thin air, moving without a trace, then leaving solid blocks of ice in their wake. They traveled from city, to state, to country without anyone being any the wiser. 

When Tony looked at his boy, a smile appeared on his face. He was proud and admired him. The boy even at ten years old was skilled far beyond his years. Not just in intellect, but also in his abilities. The boy could climb like a spider and weave a trap like one too. Sometimes, Tony let the boy do all of the work, but he went in to finish the job. 

Peter couldn’t make Tony anymore proud. 

Not even if he was his own blood.

There was just one problem...the boy was lonely. 

If it wasn’t for this Peter, would be flawless, but unfortunately, this issue was a major one. More often than not the reason Peter found himself facing Tony’s wrath was due to his friendly nature that often caused him to get too comfortable with those around him. It was that exact reason that had Tony laying his belt down on the bed next to him as he crumpled onto it. He hated being so firm with Peter, but the boy had to learn. Attachments were not a part of their lifestyle. 

He could hear the boy crying softly in his room and he put on a pair of headphones to drown it out. It took everything in him not to comfort the boy, but Peter had to learn. It was necessary for their survival. 

The day had started out normally. Peter did his work on the computer while Tony read through several of the articles he’d downloaded about new types of silencers. They ate lunch and watched some television while Tony cleaned some of the guns and Peter went through the blueprints for their next contract. Everything was fine, up until dinner when Tony had called but Peter he didn’t respond. That wasn’t acceptable. Peter knew to always respond as it acted as check-in and proof of life. He called the boy again to no answer. Now Tony was concerned. He left the stove and headed to look around their house. Tony growled when he found no sign of his boy. 

Where was Peter? 

He looked through the house again, this time with his weapon poised to fire. Whoever dared to touch his boy wouldn’t take another step. Then it happened. Tony heard Peter laughing. Lowering his weapon, he moved toward the sound of the boy’s voice. 

“That tickles!” 

“You’re so good with Wes, Peter. He usually doesn’t like other people.” Tony saw red. He quickly crossed the lawn, but not before he heard more of the boy’s conversation with the random woman. 

“I like dogs. Me and my dad move around too much for us to have any pets.” 

“Why is that?”

“For his work. He’s an um contractor and we have to move a lot.” 

“Oh, that’s no fun. Does your mom work a lot too?” That was when Tony finally reached his boy. He grabbed him by the arm and leveled a sharp reprimand in the boy’s ear. Peter immediately paled. 

“Are you Peter’s father?” Tony merely glared at the woman before taking a deep breath. He couldn’t draw attention to them. 

“I am, my name’s Jack. I see you’ve met my boy Jack Peter, we call him JP.” The woman nodded her head. “This rascal ran off without telling me where he was going. I’m sorry if he bothered you.”

“Oh, he was no bother at all,” she said warmly. “Anytime he wants to come over and play with Wes he can. I’m afraid that he doesn’t get enough exercise.” Tony offered a friendly smile before tipping the brim of his cap. 

“I have dinner on the stove so we better be going.” He still had Peter’s arm firmly in his and the boy knew he was in trouble. As soon as Tony’s grip loosened slightly Peter ran ahead of him into the house. Tony knew it was probably for the best. He was pissed. Not only had he exposed both of them, but he’d given them his real name. That was almost unforgivable. It was only minutes later that he dealt with the boy’s lapse in judgment with a firmer touch than he normally used. 

He knew that Peter wanted comfort, but tonight he wasn’t about to give it. This was a harsh lesson that needed to sting. He wanted it to sear into the boy’s memory that the lines he’d crossed today could never be crossed again. 

Never. 

A week later Tony and Peter found themselves gridlocked in a traffic jam heading toward a new state. For the entirety of the four-hour drive Peter hadn’t said a word and that wasn’t normal. From the second hour, since he’d met the boy, Peter had chatted like his life depended on it. When he was quiet, it meant that something was wrong. Instead of watching videos or listening to music or asking Tony a million and one questions, the boy simply just kept his eyes fixed on the book.

“Are you hungry?”

“No, sir,” he replied quickly. Tony shrugged and gave the boy his space. Another two hours passed before he felt the need to speak to the boy again. He didn’t mind him sulking or even being salty about his punishment, what he wouldn’t allow however was improper coping mechanisms. It was obvious that Peter was both thirsty and had to use the restroom, but stubbornness or whatever it was that he was going through wouldn’t allow him to ask...and Tony was fed up. 

“Do you need to use the restroom?”

“No, sir.” Tony looked at the boy and stared. He didn’t tolerate being lied to. 

“Want to try that again?” Peter clamped his book closed before staring at his hands. After a few quiet moments, the boy spoke. 

“Yes, sir, I do,” he said tensely. 

“Fine, we’ll stop up here and get dinner. Is there anything, in particular, you’d like to eat?” Peter shrugged and Tony rolled his eyes. Sometimes nurturing Peter’s sensitivity also meant grating on Tony’s nerves. 

Twenty minutes later they were sitting in a small diner on the side of the highway looking at menus. The waitress had come by several times to see what they wanted, but Peter was having trouble deciding. Tony knew that Peter was being difficult for no reason and the issue was grinding his gears.

When the waitress returned, Peter again shook his head, but this time Tony slammed his hand on the table. The command was obvious. Peter instantly told the woman he wanted fries and tenders. With a smile, the woman scribbled down the order and left. Tony couldn’t take it anymore. He pulled the book out of Peter’s hands and leveled a look at him.

“What's wrong with you?” 

“Nothing, sir.”

“Lying again?” Peter bit his lip. “Use your words, kid.”

“Why can’t I have any friends?” 

“Junior, you know that we don’t live like that. What about your online buddies you have from school?” Peter rolled his eyes.

“I don’t see them. Most of them live in time zones that are like six hours away. I want somebody my own age.” 

“You know that’s not how we live.” Tony took a deep breath. He knew that this life was lonely. It was probably the main reason why Peter was with him in the first place. 

“We don’t follow all the rules, right? Can’t I have just this one thing?” Tony sipped the Coke in front of him. “I just want a friend, Daddy.” When he looked into the eyes of his boy, Tony knew that he’d have to figure something out. The food came out moments later and Tony gave a steely resolved look.

“Eat your dinner, Junior.” 

“Yes, sir,” Peter said deflating. 

~/~

That night, Tony watched Peter sleep at his side. The boy no matter how angry he was when he was awake still sought out comfort in his sleep. He ran his fingers through Peter’s hair while he pulled out his phone. He flipped through one of his contacts before sending an encrypted message. A moment later, he got a call.

“Gun?”

“Machine?”

“Check.”

“What do you need?” Tony smirked. He could always count on the War Machine. The guy was as resourceful as he was loyal. If Tony had them, he’d consider the man to be his friend. 

“I need a favor. My kid needs a partner.” 

“OY?”

“Yo.” The man nodded. 

“Not easy, but doable.” 

“Skills?”

“Just think about me and take it from there.” 

“Give me seventy-two hours.” Tony nodded and clicked the phone off. As he looked down at his boy he knew that soon, it would no longer be the two of them.

~/~

It was exactly seventy-two hours that Tony was sitting in his black Camaro waiting for the signal. Peter was usually a light sleeper, but tonight the boy was dead to the world. The light flashed off and on making Tony smile. Sliding out of the car, Tony gently closed the door. As he headed toward the small house, he looked around quickly before stepping through the front door. Inside he found several bodies laying around, but in the back room, there was a child. A smile crossed his lips. The kid was probably seven or eight give or take and he was markedly smaller than Peter. 

With blue eyes and dark blonde hair that would surely turn brown, Tony felt that the job was complete. 

His boy had a brother. 

He quietly picked the boy up off the couch and carried him through the house and out of the front door. No time was wasted as Tony deposited the child into the seat directly behind his. He buckled him in and drove off like nothing happened. 

It was hours later when they were all once again in a hotel room that Peter finally stirred. Tony watched it happen. The boy awoke with a kick to the face, he puttered before opening his eyes in shock. Slowly he blinked as the realization formed in his mind. He looked around before turning to Tony and smiling. 

“Brother,” he asked. Tony replied with a curt nod. Before Tony could react Peter was across the room wrapping his arms around Tony and grinning up at him. “Thank you, Daddy.” Tony kissed the top of the boy’s head.

“Anything for you.” The smile on Tony’s face hid the fear he held in his heart that the new little boy might be more trouble than Tony anticipated. For now, though he would bask in the smile of his little boy.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think. :)


End file.
